Roger White to Discuss Policy Analysis and Public Policy, Sept. 23

Roger S. White, in a lecture at the Library of Congress, will discuss how the field of policy analysis informs policymaking.

White, a scholar in residence in the John W. Kluge Center, will present "Professional Help for Public Policy: Policy Analysis as a Field of Intellectual Inquiry and Practice" at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23, in Room 119 of the Thomas Jefferson Building,

10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.

Sponsored by the Kluge Center, the lecture is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are needed.

According to White, policy analysis, which has emerged over the past half-century as a field of intellectual inquiry and practice, is one of a number of sources that inform the public and policymakers about policy needs, options and operations. Special interests, scholars from other fields, the courts, the media, the public and policymakers themselves also play important roles.

White will discuss the nature of distinctive contributions from the field of policy analysis. He will explore key research approaches and researcher attributes that can make contributions from policy analysts not only distinctive but particularly valuable. His presentation offers a framework for assessing and enhancing effectiveness in policymaking.

White has devoted most of his professional life to supporting public policy work of the U.S. Congress as a policy analyst and research manager in the Congressional Research Service (CRS), a department of the Library of Congress. He has served as a senior research manager for nearly 30 years, most recently as associate director for research. He also served as assistant chief of the economics division of CRS.

White has developed and administered approaches for managing public policy research that anticipate and meet critical policymaking needs of Congress. White’s extensive experience includes conceptualizing immediate and continuing policy research needs stemming from significant unanticipated events, such as the terrorist attacks of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina, to ensure timely, relevant and continuing support for Congress.

White holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Illinois and was a member of the faculty at the University of Connecticut and consultant to the First National Bank of Boston before joining CRS in 1975.

Through a generous endowment from John W. Kluge, the Library of Congress established the Kluge Center in 2000 to bring together the world’s best thinkers to stimulate and energize one another to distill wisdom from the Library’s rich resources and to interact with policymakers in Washington. For further information on the Kluge Center, visit www.loc.gov/kluge/.